Liquid sodium silicate products are slightly sticky, but they have only moderate tack compared to many organic pressure sensitive adhesives. As the water evaporates, liquid silicates become progressively tackier and more viscous. Generally, only a small portion of the water (several percent by weight) needs to evaporate before the adhesive exhibits good handling strength. Therefore, sodium silicate adhesives are often employed in applications requiring high machine speeds and fast setting characteristics. The effects of water evaporation on the viscosities of several liquid sodium silicate products are shown in the table below.